Ultra-consistent Mr Narcissistic looks tough in mandatory-payout Rainbow 6

In horse racing, consistency is an attribute most often ascribed to champions and hopeless also-rans. It’s about conforming to expectations, for better or worse. Most horses in between struggle to maintain form for more than a few races, but every now and then, one like Mr Narcissistic crystallizes into a constant contender.

Without a stakes start to his name, the 7-year-old gelding has nevertheless become a fixture on the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park, finishing in the money in 13 consecutive starts over the course. He was favored in nine of those and will likely be favored again in a $57,000 allowance on Sunday.

“He’s a consistent horse and he’s always there,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He always wins or just there about. I feel like he’ll put up a good showing.”

:: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports

The 5 1/2-furlong synthetic sprint will be the feature on Gulfstream’s Sunday card and the second-to-last leg of the Rainbow Pick 6, for which there will be a mandatory payout and expected pool of $1 million. Joseph’s gelding will be on plenty of tickets.

Adding two more races at the end of his 5-year-old season at Woodbine, Mr Narcissistic has not finished worse than third since November 2023 for an uninterrupted streak of 15 starts.

Joseph claimed him for $16,000 in April 2024 and has never entered him for a tag. In 10 starts for his current trainer, he has never earned a Beyer Speed Figure lower than 77 or higher than 88. Mostly running in starter allowances in that span, he will take a manageable step up this weekend.

“For the allowance company, he’s been running well in starters and his numbers stack up well here,” Joseph said. “Now he’s going to get a little class test.”

If the field of nine entered the gate without any changes on Sunday, it’s possible that Mr Narcissistic may have been challenged for favoritism by Gabaldon, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Jose D’Angelo. The runner-up in last year’s Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot certainly would have swayed some bettors this weekend, but on Friday, D’Angelo said that he intends to scratch.

Without a headline-grabbing stakes runner to his inside, Mr Narcissistic is a clear standout in the remaining field.

Cruzin Man and Takecareofbusiness are both 5-year-old geldings with extensive synthetic backgrounds, but neither runner has won this year. Chaplin, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Jose Castro, has two recent wins on the Tapeta but finished four lengths behind Mr Narcissistic last time out.

Torch Is Passed, a 3-year-old colt trained by Nolan Ramsey, will make his first start against older horses after two straight victories in age-restricted allowances. To contend with Joseph’s gelding on Sunday, he will have to improve in his second start off a two-month layoff.

Another pair of 3-year-olds, Currency Adios and Mr. Binks, will switch from turf to synthetic for this test against older runners. Currency Adios, trained by Robert Smith, won a $52,000 maiden special weight in his turf debut last month, earning a flashy 82 Beyer Speed Figure. Mr. Binks, trained by Joseph Catanese, finished fourth in the $75,000 Roar in May.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.